Simple Python Logger

Question

Here is a simple Python logger I would like some general feedback on.

Features:

• Dynamically creates log folder and files wherever user runs the program
• Abillity to create multiple logs from a single program
• Names logs from time stamp to the latest second preventing name conflicts

I understand there may be far better alternatives to this but I just wanted to tinker around with this concept a bit!

Thank you!

logger.py:

#!/usr/bin/python # -*- coding: utf-8 -*- import datetime import time import os import sys # get user's current directory directory = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)) + '/logs' def createNewLog(): # ensure log folder exists if not os.path.exists(directory): os.mkdir(directory) # get timestamp for naming the log timeInSeconds = time.time() timestamp = \ datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(timeInSeconds).strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S' ) logFile = directory + '/' + timestamp + '.txt' mostRecentLog = directory + '/mostRecentLog.txt' # create log file and file with the log file's name with open(logFile, 'w') as log: with open(mostRecentLog, 'w') as recentLog: recentLog.write(timestamp) def findMostRecentLog(): # ensure logger has been intiated try: with open(directory + '/mostRecentLog.txt', 'r') as logFile: logName = logFile.read() except FileNotFoundError: print("Must initiate logger first!") sys.exit(1) return directory + '/' + logName + '.txt' def log(comment): comment = str(comment) # write to log file retriving most recent log from corresponding file with open(findMostRecentLog(), 'a') as log: log.write(comment + '\n') 

Answer 1

In case you do not know it yet, I suggest you to use pylint to parse your code and have automatic feedbacks. In fact some of my notes come from pylint.

Styling notes:

• Constant names like var "directory" require uppercase style PEP8
• Function and variable names require snake_case style PEP8
• Functions require docstring, as well as the module itself PEP8

Inline notes

#NOTE: 'from datetime import datetime' allows a shorter line below import datetime import time import os import sys # get user's current directory # NOTE: use os.path.join for concat filesystem paths for cross compatibility (also below) directory = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)) + '/logs' def createNewLog(): # ensure log folder exists if not os.path.exists(directory): # NOTE: what if user has no permission to create files/directory in current directory? (also below) # HINT: give a way to choose where to store logs os.mkdir(directory) # get timestamp for naming the log timeInSeconds = time.time() # NOTE: fromtimestamp may raise an exception which is not not managed here timestamp = \ datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(timeInSeconds).strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S' ) logFile = directory + '/' + timestamp + '.txt' mostRecentLog = directory + '/mostRecentLog.txt' # create log file and file with the log file's name # NOTE: redefining name 'log' (it's also a function name) # NOTE: this 'log' is not used. What it's that for? with open(logFile, 'w') as log: with open(mostRecentLog, 'w') as recentLog: recentLog.write(timestamp) def findMostRecentLog(): # ensure logger has been intiated try: with open(directory + '/mostRecentLog.txt', 'r') as logFile: logName = logFile.read() except FileNotFoundError: print("Must initiate logger first!") # NOTE: kind of rugh, I suggest returning an error and managing at caller level sys.exit(1) return directory + '/' + logName + '.txt' def log(comment): # NOTE: why forcing the type? comment = str(comment) # write to log file retriving most recent log from corresponding file # NOTE: this dependency will make hard testing this function alone. with open(findMostRecentLog(), 'a') as log: log.write(comment + '\n')